Comparing biodiversity effects among ecosystem engineers of contrasting strength: macrofauna diversity in Zostera noltii and Spartina anglica vegetations

Table 4 Overview indicating for the most important macro-benthic species, how the species abundance in three vegetated sites (Zostera meadow, Spartina patch and Spartina marsh) compare to that at the mud flat

Functional groups	Species		Mud flat → Zostera meadow	Mud flat → Spartina patch	Mud flat → Spartina marsh
Sub-surface deposit feeders	Arenicola marina	Endo	(−)	−	×
	Capitella capitata	Endo	−−	(−)	×
	Heteromastus filiformis	Endo	(+)	(+)	−−−
	OLIGOCHAETA	Endo	(−)	++	(+)
Surface deposit feeders	Malacoceros	Endo	(+)	(-)	×
	Tharyx marioni	Endo	(+)	(-)	×
	Macoma balthica	Endo	−−−	−−	×
	Pygospio elegans	Endo	(+)	−−−	×
	Streblospio shrubsolii	Endo	(−)	(−)	×
	*Hydrobia ulvae*	Epi	+++	+++	+++
	*Littorina littorea*	Epi	×	+	+++
Suspension feeders	Polydora ligni	Endo	++	×	×
	Cerastoderma edule	Endo	(−)	(+)	−
	Actinaria	Epi	(+)	+++	+++
Omnivores	Nereis diversicolor	Endo	(−)	(+)	(+)
Predators	*Carcinus maenas*	Epi	(+)	++	(+)
Predators	Nemertea	Endo	(+)	++	(+)

The symbols used in the table have the following meaning: (+) or (−) indicates an increasing or decreasing trend, but no significant differences (p > 0.05, One-way ANOVA); + or − indicates an increase or decrease with p < 0.05; ++ or −− the same for 0.05 < p > 0.01; +++ or −−− the same for p < 0.001; × indicates that the abundance was reduced to 0

ISSN: 1438-3888